Page 21 - Consultative Selling

LEARNING THE ROPES OF CONSULTATIVE SELLING

Product knowledge is one of the key factors that is very essential
for a consultative salesman. When we talk of product knowledge, we are
not just referring to the generic information about the product, its features
and other product details etc. The knowledge of the product, its uses, its
origin as well as the future trends has got to be studied in depth. The
salesman has got to be as good as the product manager in terms of the
product that he is selling. Only then, would he be able to use the product as
a solution. Take the case of salesmen who work for Supply chain service
providers and logistics operators.

Third party logistics service providers offer a host of products and services
as a part of integrated supply chain solution. They could be offering a total
solution including inventory management, warehousing, shipping,
transportation and freight management as a part of a solution to any client.
In this field the only approach that works would be the consultative mode of
designing a supply chain solution to address the customer’s requirement. A
salesman in this situation has got to know all about warehousing and the
operations in the warehouse as well as about inventory management,

systems that manage inventory and order management and so on. Unless
and until he is conversant with the details of the product he would not be in
a position even to engage the customer at the first level of talks. In this case,
the salesmen has got to know not only about warehousing, but about freight
as well as the other products which are going to be a part of the total
solution.

Though the solution design will be done by a design team comprising of
product specialists team, it is the salesman who leads the team and engages
with the customer. Even to put a foot into the door and get an entry or the
attention of the customer, it is necessary for the salesman to have the
knowledge and expertise that convinces the customer that he can offer a
solution.

Consultative Selling - A new
2/5/2019 21
Approach